сп. Критика и хуманизъм | кн. 58, бр. 1/2023 | Глобализация и пропагандни войни
водещи броя: Ралица Ковачева, Милена Якимова, Димитър Вацов, кн. 58, бр. 1/2023, с. 226, ISSN:0861-1718
Съдържание
* Изданието е достъпно на български език.
Уводни думи
Тематичният брой „Интимност: практики, дискурси и политики“ це- ли да отговори на предизвикателствата на бързо променящите се социо- културни измерения на интимността, като предложи различни теоретични и емпирични перспективи към нея. Амбицията му е не само да допринесе към научното познание на тази проблематика в български контекст, но и да създаде и консолидира академична общност, подготвена да се включи в международните научни дебати. Текстовете са обединени в пет тема- тични блока – „Интимността като теоретичен терен“, „Дигитални интим- ности“, „Рискове на интимността“, „Етнос и интимност“ и „Юношество и интимност“.
Издаването на този брой е възможно благодарение на финансовата подкрепа на Фонда за научни изследвания на МОН в рамките на проекта „Култури, практики и рискове на интимността на младите хора в Бълга- рия“ (2023–2026) (договор КП-06-Н65/8 от 12.12.2022 г., ръководител Гер- гана Ненова).
Глобализация, пропаганда, война
Журналистика в свят на нулево доверие (Международна журналистика и пропаганда)
Abstract: In the article “Journalism in a Zero-Trust World” the author explores propaganda as a tool of the foreign policy of the states. Examined are different media – print, radio, TV – and their potentials and limitations to carry international propaganda messages. Shown is the instrumental relation of propaganda to truth. The important lack of a commonly accepted definition of propaganda is backed with examples how propaganda is explained/defined only by its distinction from public diplomacy, information or education, or – currently – from legitimate political speech and disinformation. By distinguishing propaganda from public diplomacy, the main features of propaganda are manifested: its deliberate character; its goal to narrow and close the minds; its communication model – not to listen to others, and the striving to receive the desired answers. The present situation of EU opposing Russian propaganda is illustrated by the author’s research (2012–2013) that in some way predicted the ongoing developments.
Keywords: propaganda, the media as means of propaganda, print media, radio, television
Санкциите на Европейския съюз срещу пропагандата на Кремъл
Abstract: The European Union has recently taken a decision of suspending media activities of Kremlin-based propaganda outlets in order to counter Russian war propaganda campaign on the military aggression in Ukraine. The sanctions imposed by the EU raise concerns in terms of freedom of expression and access to information. The effectiveness of measures could also be estimated as problematic. This article offers an overview of the imposition of anti-propaganda measures in Bulgaria.
Keywords: disinformation, propaganda, media policy, Russia, Ukraine, EU sanctions, Regulation (EU) 833/2014
Рискове на интимността
Революцията и интернет като хранителна среда за робите
Abstract: Two poets, the Russian Alexander Blok and the Bulgarian Geo Milev are considered as representative for pre-WWI East-European leftwing intelligentsia in their attitude towards the Revolution. Both wrote emblematic poems based on real revolutionary upheavals, the Russian revolution of 1917 and the Bulgarian uprising of 1923; both saw them as uprisings of the “havenots”, who both named “slaves”. Both had seen war as participants in WWI and had been abhorred by the mass ferocity; but neither was ready to renounce their pre-war leftism. That’s why they celebrated the post-war revolutionary uprisings in their countries. However, after experiencing the reality of the post-revolutionary regime in Russia, Blok renounced the revolution of the slaves; Milev has no such experience and continued to praise the Revolution.
A parallel is drawn between those “revolutionary slaves”, the “passive slaves” of today’s Internet, and the Russian soldiers, who passively follow orders to kill in Ukraine, simultaneously displaying the “agelsss spite of the slave” (Milev) while spontaneously raping, plundering and destroying in that country without referral to a moral code, as if it’s a computer game.
Keywords: Alexander Blok, Geo Milev, revolution, slaves, Internet
Руската пропаганда в национални контексти
Свършва ли горивото на пропагандната машина? (Динамика и трансформация на наративите на проруската пропаганда в България)
Abstract: The article is based on the large-scale collective research on the topic „Anti-democratic propaganda in Bulgaria“, within which an analysis of the national populist and (pro) Russian propaganda in the Bulgarian online media for 2018-31.05.2022 was made. We analyzed all online media, blogs in Bulgarian language and Facebook public pages and groups. Our results demonstrate that the key messages of Russian propaganda, have not changed radically, but mechanisms of propaganda have transformed. Firstly, in 2022 propaganda narratives in Russia became completely official: not only media „propagandons“, but also official Kremlin spokesmen began to repeat verbatim the main points and specific vocabulary of propaganda. This directly leads to an increase in the spread of propaganda. Secondly, technological innovations also help to amplify propaganda – since it relies on ready-made and packaged messages and direct copying of content, automatic aggregators, bots and artificial intelligence already have a significant and visible role in its dissemination. The result is the flooding of the Bulgarian public with propaganda messages.
Keywords: Russian propaganda, the war against Ukraine, online media, Bulgaria, Facebook, dissemination devices
Как руските държавни медии подкопават подкрепата на Германия за Украйна във войната въпреки санкциите на ЕС
Abstract: Despite EU sanctions the Russian state media RT DE and SNA (the German version of Sputnik) continue working in Berlin and spreading disinformation on war against Ukraine. The aim is to justify Russia’s war in Ukraine, denigrate Ukraine internationally and blame the West for the aggression. According to a survey, up to 40 percent of Germany’s population support the Russian narratives fully or partially. But the Russian state media also try to influence the domestic policy in Germany. Currently they support protests against sanctions and the government and thus exploit the energy crisis for their political goals. By pretending to defend people’s interests against an abusive political elite they aim to destabilize society and attack the democracy in Germany.
Keywords: Russia, Ukraine, Germany, disinformation, war, RT, Sputnik, SNA, hybrid warfare, information war
Фейсбук: Обетованата земя на руската пропаганда в България
Под прикритие: използване на Фейсбук страници с развлекателно съдържание за разпространение на дезинформация
Abstract: 72% of Bulgarians use social media, primarily Facebook, as a news source. This alarmingly high indicator raises the question of what kind of news Bulgarian users read on Facebook, where and how they find it. The presented research aims to determine whether political information, including disinformation, is shared in a coordinated manner through “funny” Facebook pages. The results show that seemingly entertaining Facebook pages actively distribute content presented as news, including political news. The studied pages form clusters around groups of websites using coordinated sharing to disseminate the websites` content. The overall content of the websites can be described as “bullshit” in the sense of outright nonsense spread by unknown agents with hidden motives. Although the studied clusters use the “clickbait farms” model and the political content is only a small part of the overall content, we find that the studied clusters create clear and consistent attitudes towards certain political figures. Our research provides strong arguments that these clusters could be easily used for political influence operations. Furthermore, they influence the public`s perceptions of politics and journalism in a highly negative way.
Keywords: Social media, Facebook, clickbait farms, coordinated sharing, political influence operations, disinformation, bullshit receptivity, Bulgarian politics
Анатомия на трола
Abstract: The article explores the figure of the troll and trolling as a communicative strategy. Trolls today not only pollute the online environment and spread disinformation and propaganda, but also set the norms of public discourse by imposing a new truth concept. To clarify the features of trolling, the text examines the troll’s relationship with his audience. Furthermore, trolling is seen as a type of political communication, creating a specific political culture in which fear and anger are used as a tool for influence.
Keywords: troll, trolling, social media, popular culture, post-truth, post-truth politics, media
COVID-19 и конспирациите
Между COVID-19 и войната в Украйна. Динамики на конспиративния разум в границите на руския пропаганден наратив
Abstract: This article is a close observation of a few conspiracy theories, which became popular in the last few years, mostly because of the two major events – Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine. In addition to the analytical approach towards these theories, I try to find out how they are used by the Russian Federation in the field of the ongoing hybrid war. The conspiracy theories, which I observe here, bears a qualitative change and mutates in propaganda narrative. The qualitative variation can be found in the mixed mode of use of conspiracy theories as propaganda. I pay special attention to the conspiracy theory which includes 5G and its effect on both Covid-19 and the motivations of Putin’s war. Another important part of this study is the correspondence between the conspiracy reason and the way it helps spread and upgrade the propaganda narrative. Thes effect is boosted by new media tools of our digital era.
Keywords: conspiracy reason, propaganda, conspiracy theory, war in Ukraine, mass media
COVID-19 и конспирациите
Конспиративната теория като политическа идеология: изследователският случай на ПП „Народна партия Истината и само истината“
Abstract: In October 2022 Bulgaria had a fourth in a row early election for National Assembly. This political crisis evolved alongside the Covid-19 pandemic and was followed by the war in Ukraine. In those extraordinary social conditions, a number of new political parties emerged, one of which came to a particular interest due to its ideology resting on conspiracy theories. This article follows the main narratives that members of the party presented during the election campaign on national television. The goal is to present a showcase of political ideology, thoroughly built on conspiracy theories.
Keywords: conspiracy theory, ideology, conspiracy ideology, Covid-19, coronavirus
COVID-19 и конспирациите
Преначертаване на символни граници на ромските общности в контекста на пандемията от COVID-19
Abstract: In Bulgaria, the mobilisation of institutions to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the fore specific additional vulnerabilities among Roma communities. COVID-19 represents a particularly interesting moment to critically examine the expanse of the social crisis for the Roma in Bulgaria, especially through the lens of the health crisis as an “unsettled cultural period”. It is here that mutually energizing processes of redefining symbolic boundaries in these communities emerge – a process setting the scene for analytical exploration of the linkage between crossing the social boundaries and re-working of the symbolic. This article examines namely the attempt of key Roma actors to establish their own new positionality within a symbolic field allowing the approximation of the Roma towards the “normal” and away from the “gypsy” or “marginal”. The article uses data from focus groups conducted in 2020 with Roma leaders, activists, health mediators and youth.
Keywords: pandemic, Roma communities, social boundaries, symbolic boundaries, boundary work, agency, inequality, COVID-19
Varia
Две критики към разпределителната справедливост: Уолзър, Алтюсер и Жирар
Abstract: This text is dedicated to the concept of “distributive justice” of the American political philosopher Michael Walzer. It carries out a critique of the concept on the one hand, by following the logic and sources used in Walzer’s book “Spheres of Justice” (1983), and on the other – by juxtaposing his conception with the conceptions of other philosophers and sociologists. In three main points the book of Walzer follows the tradition of American pragmatism. Firstly, it considers opinions as habits and considers doubt as unnecessary if not caused by a concrete reason. Secondly, the effects of justice must be somewhere around us and shall not be imposed from the outside or by scholarly inventions. Third, political solutions must take the shortest path. The last statement has the greatest significance on the way distributive justice shall distribute the goods, or, as I call it in the article, the compensatory logic of Walzer. To put it shortly, the proper way of resolving a social tension is the following: when a group of people monopolize an important good, a new good appears to soothe the tension. This makes Walzer an important anti-radical thinker and one not without merit. Yet according to his conception, the statements would be too soft and compensatory. The second round of the critique suggested is a comparison of Walzer to a radical Marxist thinker, the French philosopher Louis Althusser. Althusser’s concept of all-pervasive ideology, coalesced with the economic order, is pitted against the all-pervasive negotiation of Walzer. Then comes a comparison with another compensatory logic, that of the French sociologist Rene Girrard, who researches the compensatory role of sacrificial rituals in primitive societies. Finally, the article makes use of the interpretation of Jürgen Habermas by a Bulgarian political philosopher, Dimitar Vatsov.
Keywords: political philosophy, distributive justice, Marxism, ideology, mimetic desire, discourse ethics